Becky Drummond says she was harassed and threatened by The Tweed Hospital for delivering her baby at home
A new mum says she was harassed by The Tweed Hospital – and threatened to be reported to child services – because she decided to have her baby delivered at home.
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A NEW mum says she was harassed by The Tweed Hospital – and threatened to be reported to child services – because she decided to have her baby delivered at home.
The Northern New South Wales Local Health District (LHD) has “categorically denied” the allegations.
First-time mother Becky Drummond says she dreamt of having a medical-free, natural vaginal water birth but after her first visit to the hospital was told it wasn’t an option.
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She said she was labelled high risk by the hospital because she was 35, conceived her baby through in vitro fertilisation (IVF) and developed gestational diabetes.
Ms Drummond said diet and exercise didn’t control her blood sugar levels and was “strongly encouraged” to take insulin.
“I’ve been informed by another medical professional that if I lived in Queensland, I would not have been diagnosed with gestational diabetes at all.”
She said after each visit to the hospital she left feeling helpless because she was constantly reminded that she was “high risk” and “no longer fit the category” to have a natural vaginal water birth.
The LHD said they recognised that place of birth was a decision for women, their partners and their families and that meant some women chose to birth at home with the care of health professionals.
A spokeswoman said the LHD supported the choice of planned, midwife-attended home birth as long as a safe choice for women with uncomplicated pregnancies.
“Communication between midwives and the hospital is essential to assess the level of clinical care required for the woman and her baby,” she said.
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Ms Drummond said it was recommended she be induced at 38 weeks but after doing her own research and completing a hypnobirthing course, she discovered being induced would be the start of a “cascade of intervention”.
“As I continued to decline the recommendations, I felt like I was treated and seen as a monster with three heads and that I didn’t take the risks seriously for our baby’s wellbeing, which was far from the truth.”
Ms Drummond continued to decline being induced and said she had to compromise by visiting the hospital weekly so they could monitor her baby’s heartbeat. “It was here that even some staff encouraged me to stand firm in my wishes and confirmed that our daughter’s results were textbook perfect.”
Ms Drummond said when her private midwife arrived at her home about 2pm on April 14, it was decided she would give birth at home. She said a home birth required two qualified midwives and by 4pm the second midwife arrived with the necessary equipment.
“I was able to successfully deliver our baby in a calm and loving environment at home and at no point during my labour or birth were either of us at any risk.”
Within hours of her daughter’s arrival, she said her and her husband Duncan’s phones were littered with phone calls and voicemail messages and so was her private midwife.
Ms Drummond said the calls started at 6.35am on April 15, about two hours after her daughter was born.
“There was a threat made to our midwife that they were going to contact child services because I had not taken the risks seriously. We were monitoring our baby’s blood sugar levels at home and the results were perfect.
“We presented at The Tweed Health for Everyone Superclinic for them to further test our baby. During our appointment, the doctor called The Tweed Hospital and even made the comment, ‘mother, father and baby present well’.”
Ms Drummond’s lead midwife, a registered nurse who did not want to be named, said she asked Ms Drummond when she was in active labour if she wanted to go to hospital, but she declined.
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She said both Ms Drummond and the baby’s heart rates were “beautiful” and both were “perfectly fine”.
“There was not one occasion that we felt we needed to transfer her to hospital.
“I called the hospital and told them Becky had the baby at home and then I went to bed. I woke up about noon and saw I had four missed calls and voicemails. I called them back and they said I had to legally hand over the baby’s care but I didn’t have to. They told me they were going to report Becky to child services for putting her baby at risk and told me they would report me to the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency.”
A Northern NSW LHD spokeswoman said the hospital “categorically denied” the claim made by Ms Drummond that staff harassed her and her husband and the midwife.
She said The Tweed Hospital’s clinicians had a duty of care for women and their babies, including the need to clarify whether follow-up care was required.
“It is also good practice for the lead midwife to establish contact with the nearest hospital if support may be required during or after a home birth where there may be factors or issues for post-natal outcomes.”
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